Transport unit and preparation of a three-dimensional component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420392-B2
Application number	US-201715805367-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2017
Priority date	Nov 15, 2016
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A transport unit for transporting an additively manufactured three-dimensional component including a transfer interface which can be closed in a substantially gastight manner for the three-dimensional component and/or a container containing the three-dimensional component and/or a platform carrying the three-dimensional component, which transfer interface is configured and disposed so that it cooperates with an output interface of an additive manufacturing machine which has manufactured the three-dimensional component within the framework of a component transfer as intended and when a connection is made as intended between the transfer interface and output interface a substantially gastight connection can be produced, and a storage chamber for storing the component and/or the container and/or the platform in a substantially gastight sealed state towards the outside.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transport unit for transporting an additively manufactured three-dimensional component which has been generated by layerwise build-up of consecutive solidified layers corresponding to respective cross-sections of an object in an additive manufacture machine, the additive manufacture machine including a process compartment within which is received a build chamber having a build platform therein, with the build chamber housed in a build module which is removable from the process compartment of the additive manufacture machine, the build chamber having a protective gas environment contained within the build chamber in use, the transport unit comprising:
an interior space sized to receive the build module therein as a storage chamber, the storage chamber being sealable in a substantially gas-tight manner;
a transfer portal on a lateral vertical side of the transport unit which is opened and closed by a movable lock in a substantially gastight manner for the build module, the transfer portal being configured and arranged to cooperate with an outlet portal on a lateral vertical side of the process compartment of the additive manufacturing machine, the outlet portal having an interface which engages with the transfer portal in a sealing engagement, through which outlet portal the build module passes into the storage chamber thereby producing a substantially gastight connection based on the sealing engagement between the transfer portal and the output portal interface; and
a conveyor mechanism carried on the transport unit,
wherein the transport unit is movable including in a horizontal traverse to engage and disengage the transfer portal with the outlet portal, whereby the build module is movable on the conveyor mechanism between the process compartment and the storage chamber when so engaged, the protective gas environment thereby being maintained during and after transport of the build module from the process compartment of the additive manufacture machine into the storage chamber and the lock closed.

2. The transport unit according to claim 1 , comprising:
a preparation unit, which during operation prepares a protective gas in the storage chamber and/or the container and/or a substantially gastight seal of the container.

3. The transport unit according to claim 2 , wherein the preparation unit comprises a gas container for the protective gas which is entrained during transport.

4. The transport unit according to claim 2 , wherein the preparation unit comprises a connection interface for supplying the protective gas into the storage chamber and/or the gas container.

5. The transport unit according to claim 1 , wherein the storage chamber is configured to be detachable from a movable support region.

6. A preparation system for three-dimensional components comprising: at least one additive manufacturing machine with an output interface and a transport unit according to claim 1 .

7. The preparation system according to claim 6 , further comprising at least one of the following system components:
a cooling station having a first takeover interface which can be brought into functional cooperation with the transfer interface,
an unpacking station having a second takeover interface which can be brought into functional cooperation with the transfer interface,
a pre- and/or post-processing station, configured for pre- and/or post-processing of the container containing the three-dimensional component and/or the platform bearing the three-dimensional component a quality checking station,
a surface processing station, configured for the surface processing of the three-dimensional component,
a removal station, configured for removal of the three-dimensional component from the supporting platform with a fourth takeover interface which can be brought into functional cooperation with the transfer interface,
a supply and/or transfer store for materials and/or aids for performing the additive manufacturing method and/or for the three-dimensional object, and
a supply station with a number of supply connections to the transport unit.

8. A method for preparing a three-dimensional component, at least comprising the following steps:
producing a three-dimensional component by means of additive manufacture, in particular powder-based additive manufacture, in a process chamber of an additive manufacturing machine under protective gas atmosphere, direct removal of the three-dimensional component from the process chamber by substantially continuous holding of the component in a protective gas atmosphere, in particular a storage chamber of a moveable transport unit, in particular according to claim 1 , preparation of the component by transfer from the transport unit into a further processing unit and/or by outputting from the transport unit to a user.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the direct removal from the process chamber comprises a substantially cooling-pause-free removal.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein nitrogen and/or argon is used as protective gas.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein substantially the same protective gas is used in the process chamber and the storage chamber and/or the container.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein following step b) the transport unit is transferred to at least one further system component of a preparation system as a further processing unit, in particular a system component of a preparation system.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the transport unit is moved spatially separately outside the additive manufacturing machine.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the three-dimensional component is made from a construction material which substantially comprises a number of polymers and/or a number of metals.

15. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the transport unit is supplied by means of a supply station with a number of supply connections, for example for charging with electrical energy and/or for preparing the protective gas.

16. A transport unit for transporting an additively manufactured three- dimensional component which has been generated by layerwise build-up of consecutive solidified layers corresponding to respective cross-sections of an object in an additive manufacture machine, the additive manufacture machine including a process compartment within which is received a build chamber having a build platform therein, the additive manufacture machine having an elevator mechanism separate from the build module and which remains with the additive manufacture machine when a build module which is removable from process compartment of the additive manufacture machine is removed, the build chamber having a protective gas environment contained within the build chamber in use, comprising:
a transport unit having an interior space sized to receive the build module therein as a storage chamber, the storage chamber being sealable in a substantially gas-tight manner;
a transfer portal on a lateral vertical side of the transport unit which is opened and closed by a movable lock in a substantially gastight manner for the build module, the transfer portal being configured and arranged to cooperate with an outlet portal on a lateral vertical side of the process compartment of the additive manufacturing machine, the outlet portal having an interface which engages with the transfer portal in a sealing engagement, through which outlet portal the build module passes into the storage chamber thereby producing a substantially gastight connection based on the sealing engagement between the transfer p

Assignees

• Eos Gmbh Electro Optical Systems

Inventors

• Plachner Kai

Classifications

• B29C64/379 Primary

  Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots · CPC title

• B22F12/82

  Combination of additive manufacturing apparatus or devices with other processing apparatus or devices · CPC title

• B22F12/80

  Plants, production lines or modules · CPC title

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title

• B22F10/32

  of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber · CPC title